In Tenebris
by dnachemlia
Summary: McGee becomes the victim of an act of revenge against Gibbs. Written for the NFA Five Stages of Grief , No Sensibility and You Should Have Come to Me Challenges.
1. Chapter 1

_**In Tenebris**_

Written for the _Five Stages of Grief_ , _No Sensibility _and _You Should Have Come to Me_ Challenges

Rating: T/FR 15

Genre: Gen, Suspense

Characters: Tim, Gibbs, Ziva, Tony, Abby, Ducky, Vance, OCs

Summary: McGee becomes the victim of an act of revenge against Gibbs.

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are not mine. The unrecognizable ones are.

Special thanks to DinaLori for the beta.

* * *

Chapter 1

Tim slowly fought his way out of the depths of unconsciousness and finally managed to open his eyes, blinking in confusion as the darkness surrounding him failed to dissipate. He blinked again but nothing changed. It was pitch black, without even a hint of any sort of illumination anywhere, so he tried to use his other senses to discern his situation.

He could tell he was lying on his back but the surface beneath him was hard and unfamiliar, certainly not his own bed in his apartment, and he was only wearing boxers and a thin t-shirt. His arms lay crossed on his chest and when he tried to move them he realized that they were bound, not only together but also to his body. He struggled to sit up and discovered that he was also bound to the surface upon which he was lying, able only to raise his head. His legs were bound together and similarly secured. He felt the first tendrils of fear wrap themselves around his heart as he searched his memory for some clue to explain his predicament.

_What happened? Where am I? How…?_

His most recent memory surfaced: he had stumbled into his apartment late Saturday night, having been dismissed by Gibbs after a particularly long and difficult case that the team had finally wrapped up, including the mounds of paperwork such a case usually produced. He had been happy to have a least one day of the weekend off, in which he had planned to spend at home, alone.

After he had secured his weapon and put his cell phone on the charger, he had showered, dressed for bed, and headed to the kitchen to find something to eat. He remembered stepping through his bedroom door and then…nothing.

Tim frowned. Something was missing, some important piece of information. Again he searched his mental database, growing more frustrated with each passing moment until something finally clicked.

_The Willis case: I'm scheduled to testify on Monday. I should…wait. Does this…am I here because someone doesn't want me to talk? _

"Hello?" he called, and winced at the sound of his voice, scratchy and weak, but also oddly loud. He realized that not only was he bound, he was also in a closed in structure, much smaller than he expected. A crate, or a large wooden box…or… Tim felt a surge of panic as his claustrophobia reared its ugly head.

_No. No, no, no!_ He struggled to control his terror as he called out again.

"What do you want with me?" The sound of his own harsh breathing reverberating within the unseen small space was the only thing he heard in return. He fought to bring his breathing under control, fearing that he would soon run out of air, but as he managed to slow his respiration, he noticed that while the air was a bit stale, it seemed to be providing a breathable level of oxygen. The realization that he was not completely sealed in his prison brought some relief, and finally he managed to calm himself enough to think.

_They'll notice I'm missing. They'll come looking for me. I just have to wait. It will be OK…_

He had no idea how long he had been in this place, but he knew it was only a matter of time before his team would start their search.

_I'll be OK…I'll be OK…Gibbs will find me. He never leaves a man behind…_

XXX

Ziva pushed through the barely open doors of the elevator and dashed to her desk, hitting her seat with only a few seconds to spare. She slammed her bag down beside her desk and immediately started to boot up her computer as the frustration that had been building since she started her morning drive nearly boiled over. Five minutes later in leaving, and that had made all the difference. Five minutes, and every slow driving idiot had managed to be out and in her way. No one had better try her patience further this morning, or—

"Problem, Zee-vah?" Tony drawled and she turned to glare up at him, smiling inwardly when he flinched under her angry gaze.

"Traffic was horrible, and then I could not find a parking space, and then…"

"Sounds like someone has a case of the Mondays," Tony said with a grin. Ziva plucked a paper clip from her desk top and he immediately returned to his desk. She chuckled to herself and returned her attention to her computer, hoping to get something done before Gibbs made an appearance.

"Looks like Probie is late this morning, too."

"I was not late, and McGee is in court today."

"Oh yeah, the Willis case. He's going to have to explain his geek magic to the jury. I don't envy him in the least."

Ziva ignored him and started checking her email. The two of them worked in silence until Gibbs arrived. They looked up expectantly, hoping for a break in the tedium of paperwork, but he just shook his head and Ziva sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Another hour passed and Ziva leaned back in her chair to stretch. She glanced up at the catwalk above and noticed that Vance was approaching, looking quite irate.

"Agent Gibbs, where is Agent McGee?"

Gibbs looked up and glanced over at McGee's desk. "He had court this morning."

"Yes, I know where he was supposed to be this morning. He's not there."

One glance from Gibbs and Tony immediately picked up his phone. He dialed a number and listened. "He's not answering his cell." He hung up and dialed another number. After listening for a moment, he frowned. "Not answering at home, either."

"That is not like McGee," Ziva observed as she tried to keep the worry out of her voice.

"Check your email, Boss."

"Already did, DiNozzo. Nothing."

"Maybe his car broke down and he's trying to get it fixed."

"He should still answer his cell phone," Ziva replied. "Call Abby, maybe she has heard…" She noticed Gibbs expression and paused. "Gibbs?" She followed his gaze and saw a man standing just at the edge of the bullpen. He appeared to be harmless, but the look of anger on Gibbs' face raised her hackles and she gave the man a closer look. He appeared to be the same age as Gibbs, with posture and bearing of military. He was smiling, but there was something not quite right in his eyes. Unconsciously she reached for her weapon.

"What in the hell are you doing here?" Gibbs growled at the man, whose smile widened.

"Ah, Special Agent Gibbs. Still as charming as ever, I see." He turned to Ziva. "You must be Special Agent David." She nodded, and he turned to Tony. "Special Agent DiNozzo, I presume. I'm Frank Oliver. Agent Gibbs and I go way back."

"I repeat, what in the hell are you doing here, Oliver?" Gibbs had risen from his seat and stood in front of his desk, facing Oliver.

"I believe we need to talk, Agent Gibbs."

"I don't have time for this," Gibbs replied and turned away from the visitor, heading to his chair.

"Ah, yes, but I believe you will make time, Agent Gibbs. You see, I am here to confess to a crime."

"What crime?" Vance asked from the catwalk as Gibbs spun around to face the man again.

"The murder of NCIS Special Agent Timothy McGee."

TBC…


	2. Chapter 2

_**In Tenebris**_

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters are not mine. The unrecognizable ones are.

Special thanks to DinaLori for the beta.

* * *

Chapter 2

The room went quiet for a few moments as those who had heard Oliver's proclamation stared at him in shock.

"You…_what?_" Tony managed to ask as the man's words finally penetrated.

"You're lying," Gibbs snarled as he stepped into the man's personal space, causing Oliver to chuckle.

"Stage One: Denial. Of course the great Leroy Jethro Gibbs can't believe that he wasn't able to protect one of his team." He grinned at the man with whom he was standing practically nose-to-nose.

"For once I'll have to agree with Agent Gibbs," Vance replied as he quickly made his way down the stairs and over to the two men facing off against each other. "You expect us to believe that you would just walk in here and admit to killing a federal agent, a crime which carries a death sentence?"

"Ah, but I've already been given a death sentence, Director Vance. From my doctor. He says I've only got about four months left. So you see, I really had nothing to lose."

"But _why?_" Ziva asked with the barest hint of a tremor in her voice. "Why would you…"

"I'll be happy to explain when I give my full confession. I've already taken the liberty of calling my lawyer, and he should be here shortly. In the meantime…" He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and held them out to the side, giving them a little shake before dropping them on Ziva's desk. "My car is out in the visitor's lot, space thirty. It should contain plenty of evidence to show that Agent McGee was inside it while I transported him to the place where I killed him. The murder weapon is in the trunk, unloaded of course."

Gibbs took a step back from Oliver, and for a brief moment Tony thought Gibbs was going to punch the man. Instead, he turned to Tony.

"Call McGee again. Keep calling until he answers."

Tony picked up his own cell phone and pressed one of the numbers on speed dial, and as he did so he saw Oliver withdraw a phone from his pocket. As soon as the call went through it started to ring with McGee's ringtone. He placed it on Tony's desk and turned to the senior agent.

"Don't waste your time, Agent DiNozzo. Now, as I was saying, the gun is in the trunk, as is the ammo. You'll have something to compare with the bullets that you will recover from Agent McGee's body. If you find it, that is. With the way the currents run, it might be half-way to the Atlantic by now."

"You son of a bitch-"

Vance grabbed Gibbs to keep him from lunging at the man in front of him, but Gibbs remained in place glaring at Oliver, who merely chuckled at the look of fury on the lead agent's face.

"I see you've reached Stage Two now, Agent Gibbs. Frankly, it took longer than I expected."

"Agent Dorneget," Vance barked, and Tony turned to see the probationary agent standing behind Oliver, a horrified expression on his face. "Take Mr. Oliver to Interrogation and stay with him. Make sure no one else has access to him until his lawyer arrives. Understood?"

"Y-yes, sir." Dorneget hesitated before he went to Oliver, cuffed him, and then took a hold of his arm. "Come with me." Oliver sent Gibbs one last smirk before he allowed Dorneget to lead him out of the bullpen. Vance kept his grip on Gibbs as he turned to a group of agents standing on the other side of the divider.

"Agent Sanders, you and Agent David will supervise the transport of Oliver's car to the evidence garage. Agent Marks, you and DiNozzo will check McGee's apartment. We need to confirm that Oliver's admission is genuine."

Gibbs freed himself from Vance's grip and turned to face him. "My team will deal with it, Leon. We don't—"

"You're too close to this, Gibbs. _All_ of you. I want to make sure there's no question about how this case is investigated. If he did what he says he did, I want Oliver to go down just as much as you do."

"I doubt that."

"Well don't. McGee is…was an asset to this agency, and a good man. We all want justice for him. In the meantime, someone needs to inform Ms. Sciuto. I need to know if she can handle this, or—"

"You don't even want to go there, Leon." He turned to the other agents. "What are you waiting for? Go!" Agents Sanders and Marks hurried towards the elevator, but Tony and Ziva remained rooted in place.

"Boss…?"

"Just go."

Tony glanced at Ziva, who was struggling to remain composed as she picked up her bag but he could see the devastation she was feeling reflected in her eyes. She turned and headed for the elevator and after a few moments Tony followed, sincerely wishing that what they had just heard wasn't real, that this was all just a nightmare.

XXX

Abby bobbed her head in time to the music blasting from her radio as she finished performing the calibrations on Major Mass Spectrometer. Once the final check was complete, she gave him a friendly pat and starting preparing the first round of samples to run. The analysis she was performing was relatively simple, something she could almost do with her eyes closed, so she allowed herself to entertain other thoughts while she worked. She knew her favorite team would be working on cold cases today, except McGee, who was in court. If that held for the rest of the day she would finally be able to take McGee out for his birthday dinner, something neither one of them had managed to schedule in the craziness the past few months had brought. She had discovered a new jazz club in the city that had received rave reviews from both the press and her friends so she intended to take him there after work. Abby knew McGee would need to unwind after being in court, something that was always stressful for him no matter how prepared he was with his testimony, and she knew he often listened to jazz to help relax. It was the perfect solution.

Abby smiled to herself, not only because she had found the perfect place, but because she was looking forward to spending some time with McGee. Ever since the attack on the Navy Yard, she had had the urge to be with the people for whom she cared about the most: her new-found family and her team, especially McGee. She winced when she remembered her initial reaction to McGee's injuries, and the strange looks Ziva had given her when she arrived at Abby's damaged lab to report on McGee's status. After much soul-searching, Abby had concluded that she had been terrified and unable to accept that her geek could be the one injured. She had gone to see him the night after he returned to NCIS and offered an apology which he had accepted. She often wondered what caused him to be so naturally forgiving and decided that it was just part of who he was. It was part of his charm. She also wondered why she had been so resistant to those charms. Maybe it was time to reconsider… She chuckled and shook her head. There would be plenty of time to think about that later.

Just as she placed the last of the samples in the spectrometer and hit the start button, the sensation of being watched hit her and she turned to see Gibbs standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Gibbs. I've just started the first batch of samples from that cold case Vance assigned the team. I should have your answers in…" She noticed that Gibbs hadn't moved from the doorway, and his expression caused an unpleasant twisting sensation in her stomach. "What's wrong?"

"Abbs…"

Her breath caught in her throat. Gibbs only used that tone when something really bad had happened. To some_one_.

"Who?" She barely managed to ask, hoping she had read him wrong.

"We haven't confirmed it yet, Abbs. We're going to need your help."

"Confirmed what, Gibbs?" she asked, panic raising the pitch of her voice to almost a shriek as she grabbed his arm. The look in his eyes was painfully familiar. "Oh, no. Please, no…"

Gibbs pulled her into an embrace and spoke softly in her ear. "A man named Frank Oliver walked into NCIS this morning and confessed to…" He took a deep breath. "To murdering McGee."

A sudden numbness overwhelmed her as she struggled with what Gibbs had just said. She soon found her voice and started to babble. "No, that can't…that's not true. Timmy's in court this morning. Just in court. Call him and you'll see. He's OK. He has to be OK. Please, Gibbs, tell me…"

"McGee never showed up at the courthouse, and Oliver had his cell phone. Tony's gone to check his apartment, but Oliver claims he's not there."

Abby vehemently shook her head. "No…"

Gibbs cupped her chin and raised her head, waiting until she met his gaze to continue. "They're bringing in the car he says used to transport McGee. Vance wants to confirm Oliver's confession."

Through her fog of anguish, something in Gibbs' tone penetrated. "You don't think…?"

"I need you to check everything, Abbs. Oliver is a liar. I _know_ it."

"Then Timmy might still be-?"

"If he is, we'll find him. That's why I need you, Abby. Are you up to this?"

Abby took a deep breath and a determined expression appeared on her face. "I can do it. I can help you find Tim. We'll find him. He'll be OK. He has to be. He has to be OK." Gibbs kissed her cheek before leading her out of the lab and towards the elevator. When it arrived, she pulled him into a tight embrace and then stepped inside. He gave her a smile and a nod as the doors closed. As the elevator started to descend she closed her eyes, preparing herself for the task ahead.

XXX

McGee jerked awake and groaned, sending a stab of pain through his parched and aching throat. He wasn't sure if the pain was from his earlier exertions or from the extended time he had gone without water. How long that actually was, he didn't know. Time had no meaning in the dark.

During his previous period of consciousness the reality of his situation had caused a surge of anger, which he had expressed by screaming his frustrations towards whoever had done this to him in the hope that they might be close enough to hear. When his cries of fury had gone unanswered, he turned his rage towards his team, the people who were supposed to have his back, but had failed to save him. That anger had been short-lived, however, as he had quickly realized how foolishly he was behaving. He knew his team would be doing everything they could, once they realized he was missing. The fact that they had probably not yet discovered his disappearance was partially his own fault. He was a loner by nature, not prone to seek out other's company during his down time, and his absence would not be noted until he was required to be somewhere, with someone else. Once he had calmed down, another more horrible thought had penetrated his mind: what if the others were in the same situation?

That same thought greeted him again as he tried to remain awake. What if the whole team was trapped? What if they were…?

_No. I can't think like that. Like Abby says, positive thoughts._

A soft, strangled sob escaped as he thought what her reaction would be to such a loss. She would be completely bereft without Gibbs, he knew. He had seen it.

In an attempt to keep his mind off that scenario, he struggled against his bonds, as he had done before, but nothing seemed to work. He could feel the ropes that bound him dig into his wrists, and the friction produced by his struggles only served to cause him more pain. Soon he felt a trickle of liquid flow from his wrist down his arm and he stopped fighting. No point in causing any more damage. No point in making his situation even worse.

Exhausted, he felt himself start to slip back into unconsciousness. He fought it, wondering if he would ever wake again, but it was yet another battle he was destined to lose. As the darkness finally overtook him he sent out one desperate, silent plea.

_Please find me. Please…_

TBC…

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A/N: Sorry this took so long. My muse disappeared a few months ago and it's taken me a long time to get back in the groove. I'll try to be better about updating this and my other stories.


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